scholarly journals Quantifying Cereal Productivity on Sandy Soil in Response to Some Soil-Improving Cropping Systems

Land ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (11) ◽  
pp. 1199
Author(s):  
Jerzy Lipiec ◽  
Bogusław Usowicz

Little information is available on the effect of soil-improving cropping systems (SICS) on crop productivity on low fertility sandy soils although they are increasingly being used in agriculture in many regions of the world due to the growing demand for food. The study aimed at quantifying the effect of four soil-improving cropping systems applied on sandy soil on cereal productivity (yield of grain and straw and plant height) in a 4-year field experiment conducted in Poland with spring cereal crops: oat (2017), wheat (2018), wheat (2019), and oat (2020). The experiment included the control (C) and the following SICS: liming (L), leguminous catch crops for green manure (LU), farmyard manure (M), and farmyard manure + liming + leguminous catch crops for green manure together (M + L + LU). To quantify the effect of the SICS, classic statistics and the Bland–Altman method were used. It was shown that all yield trait components significantly increased in the last study year (2020) under SICS with M and M + L + LU. All yield trait components were significantly lower in the dry years (2018–2019) than in the wet years (2017 and 2020). The relatively large rainfall quantity in May during intensive growth at shooting and the scarce precipitation during later growth in the dry year 2019 resulted in a significantly greater straw yield compared to the other dry year 2018. The values of Bland–Altman bias (mean difference between the particular SICS and the control) varied (in kg m−2) from −0.002 for LU in 2019 to 0.128 for M and 0.132 for M + L + LU in 2020. The highest limits of agreement (LoA) were in general noted for all yield trait components (the least even yield) in the most productive SICS including M and M + L + LU in the wet year 2020. The Bland–Altman ratio (BAR) values indicate that quantification of the effects of all soil-improving practices was most uncertain in the dry year 2018 for the grain yield and in the wet year 2020 for the straw yield and much less uncertain for the plant height in all SICS and study years. The results of this study provide helpful information about the effect of the SICS on the different yield trait components depending on the period of their application and weather conditions prevailing during the growing season.

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
mekdes lulu ◽  
Bekele Lemma ◽  
Legesse Hidoto

Abstract Background: Soil fertility decline in agricultural land is due to intensive cropping system, shortening of the fallow period, reduced manure application, extensive use of crop residues as fuelor fodder and removal of ground cover. This study investigated the effect of biochar (BC), lime and farmyard manure (FYM) on growth, yield and grain nutrient of wheat on two cropland sites in southern Ethiopia. Result: The effect of site was significant (P < 0.05) for most parameters investigated, indicating the influence of soil type. The effects of BC, lime, and FYM were significant (p ≤ 0.001) on straw yield, grain yield, and total biomass. However, BC (5 tha -1 ) produced the highest straw yield, grain yield, and total biomass. Similarly, BC and lime significantly (P < 0.001) affected plant height, and tiller numbers and productivity. BC (5 tha -1 ) gave the highest plant height, total tillers, and productive tillers, maximum number of seeds per spike, while FYM (10 tha -1 ) produced the highest spike length. Biochar significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of P and K in wheat grain. The highest effect on grain Ca concentration was from the application of lime while the highest on grain N concentration was from FYM (10 tha -1 ). Conclusion: The effect from BC was attributed to improvements in soil pH, CEC, nutrient availability and water retention. Thus BC has a good potential as a soil amendment for smallholder farm crop production.


2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (No. 1) ◽  
pp. 22-32
Author(s):  
Qingyin Shang ◽  
Xiuxia Yang ◽  
Hui Yan ◽  
Xiaohui Wang

Soil fertility is fundamental in determining crop productivity and sustainability in farming systems. A long-term fertiliser experiment in Chinese double rice-cropping systems initiated in 2011 was used in this study to gain an insight into a complete estimating of soil fertility. The six fertiliser treatments included mineral fertiliser (NP, NK, and NPK), combined NPK with farmyard manure (NPKM) or crop straw (NPKS), and no fertiliser application as a control. Results showed that grain yield averaged 5.5–13.0 t/ha/year, and significant increasing trends were observed in the phosphorus-applied plots (NP, NPK, NPKM, and NPKS), but the treatments without phosphorus applied (control and NK) resulted in declining trends in both early- and late-rice yields. After long-term rice cultivation, the contents of total and available phosphorus significantly declined in phosphorus-deficient plots compared to other treatments. Regression analysis showed that the improvement in grain yields was positively correlated with the increased soil fertility over treatments. Relative to the NPK treatment, the NPKM treatment greatly enhanced soil fertility from 0.50 to 0.78, and particularly dramatically increased the content of available soil phosphorus. Therefore, the high grain yield and soil fertility can be simultaneously achieved by long-term balanced fertiliser applications in Chinese double rice-cropping systems.  


2019 ◽  
Vol 20 (2) ◽  
pp. 60-65
Author(s):  
Iskandar Umarie ◽  
M. Hazmi ◽  
Oktarina Oktarina

[PERFORMANCES OF TEN SOYBEAN VARIETIES AS INTERCROPPED WITH SUGARCANE]. An intercropping system between soybean and sugarcane may be an alternative to increase soybean production in Indonesia, but not all soybean varieties are suitable for intercropping system as different soybean varieties may perform differently under intercropping system and monoculture system. Therefore, suitable soybean varieties for intercropping should be identified to warrant the higher crop productivity. This study was conducted to to compare the growth and yield performances of ten soybean varieties in monoculture and soybean-sugarcane intercropping systems. The experiment was laid in a Split Plot Design with three replications. The cropping systems (monoculture and intercrop) were allotted in the main plots, while the soybean varieties (Gepak Kuning, Kaba, Wilis, Tanggamus, Burarang, Sinabung, Anjasmoro, Agromulyo, Ring-1, and Gema) were assigned as the sub plots and allotted randomly in each main plot. On overall, the intercropping system had significantly reduced the soybean pod number, seed number, wight of 100 seed, and, seed yield/plant, but increased plant height as compared to the monoculture system. The exceptions were observed for seed number and weight of 100 seed. The reduction of seed number was not significant on Agromulyo and Dering-1.On the other hand, Anjasmoro and Dering-1were the only varieties showed significant reduction in weight of 100 seed. Kaba, Willis, Tanggamus, Burarang, Sinabung, and Dering-1 showed their consistant performormances across the cropping systems. However, the higher seed yield/plant in both systems was observed on Gepak Kuning, Willis, Burarang, Agromulyo, Dering-1, and Gema.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mekdes Lulu ◽  
Bekele Lemma ◽  
Legesse Hidoto

Abstract Background: Soil fertility decline in agricultural land is due to intensive cropping system, shortening of the fallow period, reduced manure application, extensive use of crop residues as fuel or fodder and removal of ground cover. This study investigated the effect of biochar (BC), lime and farmyard manure (FYM) on growth, yield and grain nutrient of wheat on croplands at two sites in the southern Ethiopia.Result: Site significantly (P<0.05) influenced most growth parameters, yield and yield components, and grain nutrient concentration of wheat. The effects of BC, lime, and FYM were significant (p ≤ 0.001) on straw yield, grain yield, and total biomass. However, BC (5 t ha -1 ) produced the highest straw yield, grain yield and total biomass. The effects of BC, FYM and lime were significant (P < 0.001) on spike length and seed per spike. Similarly, BC and lime significantly (P < 0.001) affected plant height, number of total and productive tillers. BC (5 t ha -1 ) gave the highest plant height, total tillers and productive tillers, maximum number of seeds per spike,while FYM (10 t ha -1 ) produced the highest spike length. Biochar, FYM and lime significantly (p ≤0.001) affected thousand seed weight, but only BC had significant(p ≤0.001) effect on harvest index. Biochar (5 t ha -1 )and FYM (10 t ha -1 )produced the highest heaver thousand seed weight and the highest harvest index. Biochar significantly (P < 0.05) increased the concentrations of P and K of wheat grain. On the other hand, the highest effect on grain Ca concentration was from the application of lime while the highest effect on grain N concentration was from the application FYM (10 t ha -1 ).Conclusion: The superior effect from BC was attributed to improvements in soil pH, CEC, nutrient availability and water retention. In general, the use of BC could be better option to soil amendment for wheat production on croplands of smallholder farmers.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Amare Aleminew ◽  
Melkamu Alemayehu

Soil is a non-renewable or finite resource and is the bank of nutrients for plant growth. Most soils in the tropical region including Ethiopia are highly weathered and infertile due to lower organic matter content and open nutrient cycling systems. These led to soil fertility depletion and crop productivity reduction in the country by different soil degradation agents. Therefore, the objective of this paper is to review soil fertility depletions and its management options under crop production perspectives in Ethiopia. The major drivers of soil fertility depletion are population pressure, land use pattern, free grazing of animals, lack of energy sources, land ownership and poor government policy problems. The major causes of soil fertility depletion are inadequate fertilizer use, complete removal of crop residues, continuous cropping systems, climate and soil types, lack of proper cropping systems and soil erosion and continuous cultivation. The promising technologies for improving soil fertility are integrated nutrient management, crop residue management, green manuring and cropping sequences, management of farmyard manure, applications of chemical fertilizers and soil amendments, agroforestry practices, applying conservation agriculture and application of soil-water conservation practices. Therefore, it needs a great attention by the community and the government to use innovative soil fertility management options to sustain soil fertility and crop productivity for the coming generations in the country forever enhancing nutrient input and recycling through following closed nutrient management systems in the cultivated lands.


2019 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1-14
Author(s):  
Manal F. Tantawy ◽  
M. A. Ahmed ◽  
B. Y. El-Koumey ◽  
E. A. Abou Hussien ◽  
Asmaa A. E. Emam

2021 ◽  
Vol 41 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Federica Zanetti ◽  
Barbara Alberghini ◽  
Ana Marjanović Jeromela ◽  
Nada Grahovac ◽  
Dragana Rajković ◽  
...  

AbstractPromoting crop diversification in European agriculture is a key pillar of the agroecological transition. Diversifying crops generally enhances crop productivity, quality, soil health and fertility, and resilience to pests and diseases and reduces environmental stresses. Moreover, crop diversification provides an alternative means of enhancing farmers’ income. Camelina (Camelina sativa (L.) Crantz) reemerged in the background of European agriculture approximately three decades ago, when the first studies on this ancient native oilseed species were published. Since then, a considerable number of studies on this species has been carried out in Europe. The main interest in camelina is related to its (1) broad environmental adaptability, (2) low-input requirements, (3) resistance to multiple pests and diseases, and (4) multiple uses in food, feed, and biobased applications. The present article is a comprehensive and critical review of research carried out in Europe (compared with the rest of the world) on camelina in the last three decades, including genetics and breeding, agronomy and cropping systems, and end-uses, with the aim of making camelina an attractive new candidate crop for European farming systems. Furthermore, a critical evaluation of what is still missing to scale camelina up from a promising oilseed to a commonly cultivated crop in Europe is also provided (1) to motivate scientists to promote their studies and (2) to show farmers and end-users the real potential of this interesting species.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (4) ◽  
pp. 407
Author(s):  
Ling Li ◽  
Yong-Jiang Zhang ◽  
Abigayl Novak ◽  
Yingchao Yang ◽  
Jinwu Wang

In recent years, plants in sandy soils have been impacted by increased climate variability due to weak water holding and temperature buffering capacities of the parent material. The projected impact spreads all over the world, including New England, USA. Many regions of the world may experience an increase in frequency and severity of drought, which can be attributed to an increased variability in precipitation and enhanced water loss due to warming. The overall benefits of biochar in environmental management have been extensively investigated. This review aims to discuss the water holding capacity of biochar from the points of view of fluid mechanics and propose several prioritized future research topics. To understand the impacts of biochar on sandy soils in-depth, sandy soil properties (surface area, pore size, water properties, and characteristics) and how biochar could improve the soil quality as well as plant growth, development, and yield are reviewed. Incorporating biochar into sandy soils could result in a net increase in the surface area, a stronger hydrophobicity at a lower temperature, and an increase in the micropores to maximize gap spaces. The capability of biochar in reducing fertilizer drainage through increasing water retention can improve crop productivity and reduce the nutrient leaching rate in agricultural practices. To advance research in biochar products and address the impacts of increasing climate variability, future research may focus on the role of biochar in enhancing soil water retention, plant water use efficiency, crop resistance to drought, and crop productivity.


2020 ◽  
Vol 2 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nathalie Colbach ◽  
Sandrine Petit ◽  
Bruno Chauvel ◽  
Violaine Deytieux ◽  
Martin Lechenet ◽  
...  

The growing recognition of the environmental and health issues associated to pesticide use requires to investigate how to manage weeds with less or no herbicides in arable farming while maintaining crop productivity. The questions of weed harmfulness, herbicide efficacy, the effects of herbicide use on crop yields, and the effect of reducing herbicides on crop production have been addressed over the years but results and interpretations often appear contradictory. In this paper, we critically analyze studies that have focused on the herbicide use, weeds and crop yield nexus. We identified many inconsistencies in the published results and demonstrate that these often stem from differences in the methodologies used and in the choice of the conceptual model that links the three items. Our main findings are: (1) although our review confirms that herbicide reduction increases weed infestation if not compensated by other cultural techniques, there are many shortcomings in the different methods used to assess the impact of weeds on crop production; (2) Reducing herbicide use rarely results in increased crop yield loss due to weeds if farmers compensate low herbicide use by other efficient cultural practices; (3) There is a need for comprehensive studies describing the effect of cropping systems on crop production that explicitly include weeds and disentangle the impact of herbicides from the effect of other practices on weeds and on crop production. We propose a framework that presents all the links and feed-backs that must be considered when analyzing the herbicide-weed-crop yield nexus. We then provide a number of methodological recommendations for future studies. We conclude that, since weeds are causing yield loss, reduced herbicide use and maintained crop productivity necessarily requires a redesign of cropping systems. These new systems should include both agronomic and biodiversity-based levers acting in concert to deliver sustainable weed management.


2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-63
Author(s):  
K Pariyar ◽  
A Chaudhary ◽  
P Sapkota ◽  
S Sharma ◽  
CB Rana ◽  
...  

The effects of two tillage methods (zero tillage and conventional tillage), two residue managements (residue kept and residue removed) and two levels of cropping system (maize + soybean and sole maize) were studied over 3 years (2015-2017) at Dailekh district of Nepal. Arun-2 and Puja were the varieties of maize and soybean used respectively, followed by winter wheat. The results revealed that the maize + soybean system had significantly higher plant population and ear population (34.83 thousands ha-1 and 34.35 thousands ha-1, respectively), grains per row (37.1), ear length (16.6 cm) and 20.5% higher grain yield as compared to sole maize. The highest maize equivalent yield (7.92 t ha-1) was recorded in maize + soybean as compared to the lower grain yield equivalent (7.06 t ha-1) in sole maize. Zero tillage accounted relatively higher benefits (high net income and B:C ratio) as compared to conventional tillage. The residue kept plot resulted significantly higher B:C ratio (2.41) than the residue removed (2.11) and the maize + soybean recorded 82.5% greater B:C ratio compared to sole maize. Net annual income was significantly higher in zero tillage, residue kept and maize + soybean system (NRs. 223072.00, 222958.00 and 269016.00 ha-1 respectively). Such combinations are recommended for Dailekh district of Nepal to have profitable crop productivity. SAARC J. Agri., 17(1): 49-63 (2019)


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